The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-13
A9ritultural.
Sugaring Apparatus and
COnveniences.

From present appearances not much
maple sugar is likely to be made in Yer
mont this season, though the sugar
prophet, Mr.. Timothy Wheeler, fore
told his usual d" medium average" sea-
son. The great depth of snow will de-
ter many from breaking into their
sugar-orchards at all, while the late
ness of the season and probable short
time which could be given to sugaring
will discourage others from beginning
the work, We print below an article
from the Mirror and Farmer, by E. B.
Webster of this state, with which we
mainly agree. We use Posts spouts
and like them better than any others
we ever used, and do not bore quite as
deep, especially in young trees. The
idea of painting tin tubs as being good
for the sap is new to us. We have seen
tubs painted on the seams and about
the rims outside to prevent rusting,
but painted inside to prevent souring
we have not seen. We should think
the paint would give an oily flavor to
the sap for awhile. We wish sugar
makers would write us their expert
ence in this matter. Our sugar-house,
like Mr.. Webster's, is so situated that
there is no lifting or handling sap after
it is in the gathering-tub, which, with
the holders, we shall this year line with
tin, and if painting will keep the sap
any better in these we will paint them.
Our sugar-house was built before we
had an evaporator, so we had not room
to set in heater behind it, but we
have an arrangement which works very
well. A pipe and faucet connects with
gas-pipes running back and forth in
the chimney, and another pipe carries
the sap from these to the front of the
evaporator, where it is discharged at
about the boiling point, and by the
faucet the flow of sap can be graduated
so steady stream can be kept running
without the necessity of feeder, which
is very handy sometimes. Some say
better sugar can be made in a pan than
in an evaporator, which we do not be-
lieve. The good sugar-maker can make
good sugar in pan, but we think the
same man would make better in an
evaporator. And the two things of
greatest importance in making good
sugar we believe to be cleanliness and
converting the sap into sirup as soon as
possible after it runs. Mr.. Webster
says:
In your issue of March II I noticed an
article written by II. p. Abbott of East
Roxbury VT, on maple sugar, in which he
states that the right weight for sirup is
seventeen pounds per gallon. l should
think that would be extraordinarily heavy.
The standard weight here is eleven pounds
per gallon. In my judgment the tin spout
is the poorest spout in use, as it allows free
circulation of air into the tree and soon
dries up the sap. / have found that the
spout that is so constructed as to prevent
current of air from circulating in the hole
produces the most sap. We use a three
eighths inch bit, boring about one and one
half inches, and drive an Eureka spout.
The great point in making fine-favored
maple sugar is to have the utensils clean.
The best bucket in my judgment, is tin,
painted white inside and out-white, be-
cause that does not draw the heat like
other colors. Sap will become sour in an
implanted bucket, while in a painted one
standing beside it the sap will taste fresh
and sweet. My gathering-tub holds fifty
pals, with a two-inch hose inserted at or
near the bottom. This is four feet long and
is fastened on top of the tub. The sap is
drawn to an elevation made of stone and
dirt, and conducted to the holders. The
holders are raised higher than the evapo-
rator, and the sap conducted to the heater
through regulator The heater has fiues,
thirty-six in number, which all the heat
passes through before reaching the chin
ney. A tube fourteen feet long conducts
the hot sap to the front end of the evapo-
rator. 1t passes back and forth till it
reaches the rear, when it is sirup and is
drawn off. With the apparatus l have l
can boil away fifty pals per hour.